Kansas vs Texas A&M 2012 NCAAB Picks

by Matt Foust on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

The Kansas Jayhawks have yet to secure their eighth straight Big 12 title, but a win tonight would almost certainly give them a co-share of the league championship. Bill Self’s squad hits the home stretch this evening when it takes on Texas A&M at the Reed Arena in College Station; the game is scheduled to tip off at 9:00pm ET on ESPN2. The latest NCAAB Picks have the Jayhawks listed as a -10.5 against the spread road favorite and the Over/Under set at 123.5 points.

Kansas State did its arch rival Kansas a huge favor last night by upsetting No. 3 Missouri in Columbia. The loss dropped the Tigers league record to 12-3, leaving them a half game back of the Jayhawks in the Big 12 standings. Now all Kansas (22-5) needs to do is take care of business in College Station tonight and it will head into Saturday’s meetings with Missouri, which will take place at the legendary Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, with a one game lead on the Tigers.

Taking care of business against Texas A&M (13-13 overall, 4-10 Big 12) appears to be second nature for Kansas under the leadership of Self as it has won nine of its last 10 meetings opposite the Aggies. A&M did cover the spread (19 points) when the two teams hooked up in Lawrence earlier this year, but it lost 54-64 nonetheless.

Thomas Robinson posted an 18 point, 10 rebound double-double in the victory while Tyshawn Taylor added 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Jeff Withey also scored in double figures, totaling 10 points, but even more impressive were the eight blocks the big man recorded.

Kansas, which has won four straight coming into tonight’s game, will meet an Aggies squad this time around that has lost five of its last six games, including its last three at the Reed Arena. A&M most recently fell to the aforementioned Tigers 62-71 on Saturday in College Station.

The Aggies got 15 points from forward Khris Middleton, who saw his most extensive action since returning to the lineup on February 11th, but the team’s overall offensive effort proved futile as Missouri shot 56.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Tonight should be more of the same for A&M, which has no one capable of matching up inside with Robinson and Withey or outside with Taylor. The only danger for Kansas this evening is the look-ahead factor, something that could have played a part in the Tigers demise last night.